Reaching truckers in Brazil with non-stigmatizing and effective HIV/STI services

In 2001, the Population Council conducted an assessment in Brazilian border areas, commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, with support from USAID/Brazil, to determine which populations were most in need of HIV prevention activities. The research findings in the southern region revealed the presence of an extremely mobile, international truck driver community with little or no access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment services. In response to this need, Horizons/Population Council implemented an operations research study focused on trucker drivers (2002-2005) in the south of Brazil. In collaboration with the administration of the customs stations, municipal and state STI and AIDS programmes, and Health Ministries, the investigators sought to examine the feasibility and impact of an HIV prevention project targeted at truckers crossing the southern border of Brazil